Combined cigarette and match container



Dec. 10, 1963 1 E. PORTER COMBINED CIGARETTE AND MATCH CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 3, 1961 INVENTOR.

BY LOUIS E. PORTER ATTORNEY Dec. 10, 1963 L. E. PORTER 3,113,669

COMBINED CIGARETTE AND MATCH CONTAINER Filed Feb. 5, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. LOUIS E. PORTER WDMgL/QMAV ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,113,669 COMBINED ClGARETTE AND MATCH CONTR Louis E. Porter, 332 Talbot Ave, Dorcliester 24, Mass. Filed Feb. 3, 1961, Ser- No. 86,908 Claims. (Cl. 206-48) This invention relates to a combined cigarette and match container and more particularly to a combined cigarette and match container capable of rapid assembly by folding and convenient one hand operation during use.

Cigarettes and matches are normally supplied to the individual customer in separate containers. Such multiple package arrangement is the cause of considerable inconvenience to the average cigarette smoker in that it necessitates storage, care and keeping track of two packages as well as the handling of each package separately and individually for each new cigarette used. The inconvenience of this two package arrangement has been recognized and several inventions have been made wherein the matches have been attached to the cigarette package. However, for such important reasons as undue complexity of construction, expense, ineificient and cumbersome construction as well as difficulty of manipulation in use, the combined cigarette and match packages to date have been generally rejected in favor of the existing practice of separate match and cigarette containers.

Pursuant to the present invention, the above objections have been overcome and a structural configuration for a combined cigarette and match container has been achieved which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture and so convenient in its operation as to permit manipulation with a single hand for opening and closing thereof to remove cigarettes and matches.

Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is the provision of a combined cigarette and match container which lends itself to one hand manipulation for opening and closing thereof to remove both cigarettes and matches.

Another object is the provision of a combined cigarette and match container which readily lends itself to inexpensive mass production.

A further object is the provision of a combined cigarette and match container which is formed of a single blank by simple straight folding operations.

A still further object is the provision of a combined cigarette and match container wherein the cigarettes are readily kept sealed and protected from surrounding weather conditions.

And another object is the provision of a combined cigarette and match container which lends itself to a construction wherein the same number of matches as cigarettes are readily carried in the container with both being readily accessible as desired.

And a further object is the provision of a combined cigarette and match container wherein a portion of the container may be discarded as the contents are consumed without impairing protective covering to such unused contents as remain.

These and other objects, features and advantages are achieved generally by providing a combined cigarette and match container structure folded from a single blank defining two rectangular faces having identical side and end dimensions with a spacer portion between two adjacent ends to form the bottom of said container, parallel folds at the adjacent ends whereby the faces are in opposed relation to each other, lateral spacer members extending from the sides of one of the faces in perpendicular relation to both of the faces, and wrap around members extending from each of the sides of said other face, one of the wrap around members slotted and folded to form a pair of fiaps to cover a supply of matches, the other of the wrap around members folded to bind the matches in place and engage the flaps in closed position.

By extending the slot in the flap to the side of said other face, ease in single handed closing and opening of the flaps for access to the matches is thereby achieved as well as an arrangement for discarding the match container portion as the matches are consumed.

These and other features, objects and advantages will become more apparent from the following description taken in connecton with the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which a combined cigarette and match container in accordance with the present invention may be constructed;

FIG. 2 is an isometric View of a combined cigarette and match container constructed in accordance with the present invention and with top closure flap open to more clearly show construction;

FIG. 3 is another isometric view of the combined cigarette and match container shown in FIG. 2 with a match cover flap swung open for access to the matches;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a combined cigarette and match container made in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 in more detail, a single blank from which a cigarette container made in accordance with the present invention may be constructed by suitable folding is designated generally by the numeral 10. The blank 16 may be made of a thin cardboard or other suitable membrane material which lends itself to being folded and creased without cracking.

The single blank 10, by means of folds along straight lines represented by dotted lines 12 defines two rectangular panels including a front panel 14 and a back panel 16 when folded into a finished, combined cigarette and match container 18 shown in FIG. 2. The length of the sides 20 and 2-2 of the front panel 14 are substantially equal to the length of the sides 24 and 26 of the back panel 16. Also, the length of the ends 28 and 30 of the front panel 14 are equal to the length of the ends 32 and 34 of the back panel 16.

A spacer portion 36 between the two adjacent ends 28 and 32 form the bottom of the combined cigarette and match container 18. The blank 10 has cuts shown by the solid lines 38 and 4d at the ends of the spacer 36, which together with cuts shown by the solid lines 42 and 44, form two cars 46 and 48 respectively. The ears 46 and 4-8, when folded at lines 50 and 52 respectively, together with lateral spacer members 54 and 56 folded on lines 24 and 26 respectively at right angles to the panel 16, assist in forming the rigid container 18 from the blank 10.

By folding the panels 14 and 16 at the lines 28 and 32 respectively until the panels 14- and 16 are substantially parallel to each other, the spacer members 54 and 56 on the sides of face 16 will then be substantially perpendicular to both panels 14 and 16. The spacer member 54 has a tab 63 folded at line 65 and fastened as by gluing to the panel 14 at the side 22. Wrap-around members 58 and 60, extending from the sides 20 and 22 of the front panel 14, are folded about the spacer members 56 and 54 respectively. The wrap-around member 58 is folded at line 20 in perpendicular relation to the front panel 14, and at line 62 in another perpendicular fold to form a binder member 64 (FIGS. 3 and 4) overlapping bases of matches 66 which may be of the conventional type, preferably of the paper stem safety match type, and held in place by either gluing or staples 68 or both gluing and staples. The end 74 of the binder portion 64 is left free so as to engage outside ends 72 and 74 of a pair of flaps 76 and 73 formed from the wrap-around member 60 by a suitable slot 84! running to the side 22. The base of the flaps 72 and 74 have folds 8'2 and 84 to provide clearance for the matches 66 and match heads 86 and ease in folding back to uncover the respective matches for removal and use as in lighting a cigarette. A typically folded back flap 76 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The binder portion 64 of the wraparound member 58 may be coated with. conventional material 87 for striking match heads 86 of the matches 66.

In the container 18 are cigarettes (not shown) which may be initially wrapped in a conventional membrane material 88 such as paper covered with a film of aluminum or paraffin or plastic or the like to help protect the contents from outside conditions. The wrapper 88 may be folded in conventional manner from a rectangular sheet with a configuration as shown in FIG. 2. so as to be slide fitted in the container 18. A closure flap 9% extending from the end 34 of the back panel 16 appears in an open, folded back position in FIG. 2 to more clearly disclose the inner Wrapper 88. The inner wrapper 88, together with the outer container 18, provide both protection from impact as well as protection from varying weather conditions, including the prevention of loss or acquisition of moisture by the cigarette tobacco.

A recess 92 in the top of the front panel 14 is provided to facilitate gripping the end portion 94 of the end closure flap 90 for opening the container 18, to remove a cigarette as desired.

To facilitate such cigarette removal, the overlying end flaps 96 and 98 of the wrapper 83 may be readily gripped with the fingers to an upright position for permitting the tapping out of a cigarette in conventional manner or the entire wrapper 88 with the cigarettes therein pulled upwardly with respect to the container 18 for ready access to and removal of one or more cigarettes as desired. The flaps 96 and 98 may then be folded back to the position shown in FIG. 2 and wrapper '88 with remaining cigarette therein slid back to the position shown in FIG. 2. The top closure flaps 99 and 94 are again reinserted into the container 18 to provide a rigid protective container for the remaining cigarettes which remain readily accessible for future use.

By means of the slot 80, only one-half of the matches 66 need be uncovered at a single time to minimize fire hazards as well as simplifying the uncovering operation when seeking matches 66. It is much easier to remove a single relatively small flap 76 or 78 from the closure member 64 than if both were combined into a single long flap. Removing a flap may be performed by the simple operation of pressing at the fold 82 with a thumb or finger even while the pack 18 is held in the same hand. Also, another advantage of the two flap structure 76 and 78 is that when one-half of the matches 66, those heneath the flap 78, have been consumed the fiap 78 may then be torn off at the fold line 84 leaving the other flap 7 6 in place to protect the remaining, unused matches without impairing the protection to the cigarettes in the container 18.

The alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is provided to accommodate king size cigarettes and may be folded from the same type of blank ill with sides as 22 lengthened and the Wrap-around member 60 being cut 4 at the broken lines 100 and 102 which may provide fastening tabs 104 and 166.

This invention is not limited to the particular details of construction and operation shown as equivalents will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A combined cigarette and match container comprised of a single folded blank, said container including two rectangular faces, each having two sides and two ends, the dimensions of the sides being substantially equal and the dimensions of the ends being substantially equal, a spacer portion between and integral with two adjacent ends of said panels to form the bottom of said container, parallel folds at said adjacent ends whereby said panels are in opposed relation to each other, a closure flap at the other end of one of said panels, lateral spacer members extending from the sides of one of the faces and in perpendicular relation to both of said panels, a row of matches on said one panel, and wrap around members extending in opposite directions from the sides of said other panel, one of said wrap around members folded about the container in one direction to form a flap to cover said row of matches, the other of said wrap around members folded about the container in the opposite direction to bind the matches in place and having a termination arranged to engage the flap in closed position at the base of said matches.

2. A container as in claim 1 wherein said flap has a linearly placed slot substantially perpendicular to said sides to form a separate and independent cover for said matches on each side of said recess.

3. A combined cigarette and match container c0mprising two rectangular panels having substantially equal side and end dimensions with a spacer portion between and integral with two adjacent ends whereby said panels are in opposed relation to each other, lateral spacer members extending from the sides of one of said panels in perpendicular relation to both of said panels, a plurality of matches side by side on said one panel, wrap around members extending in opposite directions from each of the sides of said other panel, one of said wrap around members folded about said container in one direction to bind said matches in place and terminating in position to form a closure lip at the base of said matches, the other of said wrap around members folded about said container in the opposite direction to form a cover flap of length to cover said matches and engage said lip.

4. A combined cigarette and match container comprised of a single folded blank, said container including two rectangular panels, each having two sides and two ends, the dimensions of the sides being substantially equal and the dimensions of the ends being substantially equal, a spacer portion between and integral with two adjacent ends of said panels to form the bottom of said container, parallel folds at said adjacent ends whereby said panels are in opposed relation to each other, a closure flap at the other end of one of said panels, said closure flap consisting of a fiat end portion and a flat spacer portion between said end portion and other end of said one panel with two parallel folds, a recess at the other end of the other of said panels for facilitating the opening of said closure flap, lateral spacer members extending from the sides of one of the panels and in perpendicular relation to both of said panels, a supply of matches having match heads and bases on said one panel, and wrap around members extending from the sides of said other panel, one of said wrap around members folded about the container in one direction and terminating to form a flap to cover said supply of matches with the match heads opposite to said termination and match bases adjacent said termination, the other of said wrap around members folded about the container in the opposite direction to bind the matches in place at the bases and having a termination positioned to slightly overlap the termination of the match cover flap at the match bases, a pair of.

parallel folds in the match cover flap at the match heads and separated a distance greater than said slightly overlap, whereby to facilitate opening said match cover flap as a single hand operation.

5. A container as in claim 4 wherein said match cover flap has a linearly disposed slot substantially perpendicular to said sides and extending through both said parallel folds to form a separate and independent cover for said matches on each side of said slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Iebwohl Dec. 11, 1923 Komer Aug. 17, 1926 Neivert June 13, 1944 Inman *Jan. 27, 1959 Lubash Dec. 5, 1961 

4. A COMBINED CIGARETTE AND MATCH CONTAINER COMPRISED OF A SINGLE FOLDED BLANK, SAID CONTAINER INCLUDING TWO RECTANGULAR PANELS, EACH HAVING TWO SIDES AND TWO ENDS, THE DIMENSIONS OF THE SIDES BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL AND THE DIMENSIONS OF THE ENDS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL, A SPACER PORTION BETWEEN AND INTEGRAL WITH TWO ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID PANELS TO FORM THE BOTTOM OF SAID CONTAINER, PARALLEL FOLDS AT SAID ADJACENT ENDS WHEREBY SAID PANELS ARE IN OPPOSED RELATION TO EACH OTHER, A CLOSURE FLAP AT THE OTHER END OF ONE OF SAID PANELS, SAID CLOSURE FLAP CONSISTING OF A FLAT END PORTION AND A FLAT SPACER PORTION BETWEEN SAID END PORTION AND OTHER END OF SAID ONE PANEL WITH TWO PARALLEL FOLDS, A RECESS AT THE OTHER END OF THE OTHER OF SAID PANELS FOR FACILITATING THE OPENING OF SAID CLOSURE FLAP, LATERAL SPACER MEMBERS EXTENDING FROM THE SIDES OF ONE OF THE PANELS AND IN PERPENDICULAR RELATION TO BOTH OF SAID PANELS, A SUPPLY OF MATCHES HAVING MATCH HEADS AND BASES ON SAID ONE PANEL, AND WRAP AROUND 